Toy or puzzle



(No Model.)

P. JQHOGAN, TOY OR PUZZLE.

No. 460,014. Patented Sept. 22,1891.

D PLAIN PLAIN WHITE v ELI/E PLAIN RED WHI TE KING B UE KING KING llVI/E/VTOI? ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES: W

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-Le PHILIP JOSEPH. HOGAN, OF NEGAUNEE, MICHIGAN.

TOY OR PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,014, dated September 22, 1891.

Application filed May5, 1891- Serial No. 391,658. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PHILIP JOSEPH HOGAN, of Negaunee, in the county of Marquette and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Toy or Puzzle, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists in a new toy or puzzle comprising a box having asuitably marked or colored field on the interior of its bottom and a series of suitably colored or marked loose polygonal-shaped bodies or cubes contained therein for movement over or change of position on said field by merely jerking or tossing the box without necessarily inclining it and without any interposed moving means to solve the puzzle or by the aid of a chart and key thereto for playing various games,

such as telling fortunes or answering questions for social amusement and entertainment, substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims, the whole forming what may be termed a push-box puzzle by reason of the manner in which the loose polygonal-shaped bodies are pushed,-moved, or tossed to assume different positions and change of face on the field by the direct manipulation of the box.

Reference is to be had to the-accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of the toy or puzzle. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, and Fig. 3 is a face viewof a chart used in connection with the toy or puzzle.

While numerous puzzles can be solved by the combinations formed in the push-box and any ingenious person can make new and interestin g games with the box and its contained loose cubes or polygonal-shaped bodies and chart belonging to the same-also the field in the bottom of the box maybe differently colored or marked and the faces of the loose cubes or polygonal-shaped figures also differently colored or marked-the following description will suffice to explain the general construction, operation, and use of the toy or puzzle.

A indicates a box, preferably of circular form, designed to be held in the hand and here shown, will suiiice to explain.

having a field on the interior of its bottom 1) divided or marked into three sectors or separated sections a d 6, each of a different color as, for instance, the section 0, made to present a white ground, the section (I a blue ground, and the section 6 a red ground-and each of these sections having a figure ff f preferably of square shape, of difierent color delineated upon it; also, if desired, with a special mark, such as a cross or the letter X delineated upon it. Thus the figure f on the white ground or section 0 may be of a blue color, the figure f on the blue section d of a red color, and the figure f on the red section 6 of a white color. A transparency or glass 9 is arranged over this field in the bottom of the box, not only for the purpose of exposing and protectingit, but to form a smooth gliding surface for the loose polygonally-shaped bodies or cubes 0 C 0 upon or over it. Any number of these cubes may be used and any number of different-colored sections in the field on the bottom of the box to correspond; but three, as Said loose polygonal-shaped bodies when of cube form present six sides or faces each, and each of these sides is differently colored or distinguished, but all of them for the several cubes are colored or distinguished alike. Thus, in the illustration represented in the drawings, each cube is supposed to have a plain white side 0, a white side or face 0 having a cross or distinguishing mark upon it, a plain blue side (1, a blue side or face d with the cross or mark upon it, a plain red side 6, and a red side or face 6 having the cross or mark on it, all as shown at bottom of the chart in Fig. 3, where the six sides of any one of the cubes are represented. When these cubes are placed promiscuously in the box, as shown, for instance, by dotted lines in Fig. 1, a cover D, having a glass or transparent top h, is shut down or over the box, when the toy or puzzle is ready for use, said cover exposing the interior and preventing the cubes from being tossed out of the box.

In playing or solving the toy or puzzle,the marked faces of the cubes are called kings, and distinguished according to the colored sides of the cubes upon which the cross or mark appears. Thus there is a white king a blue kin g, and a red king. The other faces or sides of the cubes simply represent plain white, blue, and red surfaces.

To solve the puzzle, shake the box until'the white king, the blue king, and the red king face uppermost. Then by tapping or jerking the box, not necessarily inclining it, cause the red king to move or face upward on the red square or figure f on the blue section 61 of the playing-field, the blue king on the blue square or figure f on the white section c of the field, and the White king on the white square or figure f on the blue section 6 of the field. When the three kings are covering their correspondingly colored squares or figures on thediiferent sections of the field,- which will require very nice manipulation of the box to accomplish, the puzzle will be solved.

re use the device asa toy for answer-rug questions with a simple affirmative or mega tive, ask the'question first and then shake the box. Two or three of the marked faces on the sides of the cubes turn-in up means 'yes for the answer; and two or three of the plain" sides or faces ofthe cubes turning up means no for the answer.

, To=further use the device as a toy or game combinations that can be formed by the upturn-ed faces of the three cubes. The chart E signifies or shows in rows or sets of squares these different combinations, each set consisting of three squares and numbered, re-' spectiv'ely, from 1 to 56; The squares them-'- selves are colored or marked to correspond with the differently colored and marked or plain sides of the cubes, but of course differently' arranged to accord with the different combinations produced by the upturned facesof the cubes, This is shown in the chart or main portion thereof by the squares being differently line-ruled and left plain or marked to conform with the differently lined or plain or marked faces of the cubes, represented by the drawings in Figs. 1 and 2, and space below the" chart proper in Fig. 3. Thus the three plain white squares in the row or set of squares on the chart numbered 56 form or correspond with the combination produced by the three cubes presenting their plain whitefaces c uppermost in the manipulation of thebox. The set of three squaresnumberedl correspond with the-combination produced by the upturned plain red sides or faces of the three cubes, and so on through out the chart. Thus the chart shows an exact copy of each combination formed by the three cubes, and the number opposite each combinationas represented on the chart may I signify or stand for a particular letter of the alphabet. Thus the set of squaresnumbered 1 may stand for the letter A, the set of squares numbered 2 may stand for the letter B, the set of squares numbered 3 may stand for the letter C, and so on. Accordingly, if it be required to spell a word or sentence by the shaking of the box, it will be necessary to shake it successively until each letter in the word or sentence is produced as expressed by the combinations formed by the upturned faces of the cubes and shown on the chart. For instance, to commence the spelling by the letter A, it will be necessary to produce the combination shown on the set of squares numbered 1 in the chart; to indicate the letter B, produce the combination shown in the-set of squares numbered 2' in the chart, i and soon for any number of letters or words, "or the numbered combinations as show-1r in the chart may be made to indicate by meansof a printed list or key certain sayings, answer's, or prediction's as, for instance; in fortune-telling, or other like games for social pleasure or amusement-so that everycombination produced bythe" shaking of the cubes in the box will have its own meaning and interpretation shown on thechartand explained V by the key.

These are only a few of the puzzles or games which can be Worked by the box its cubes.

I bodies or cubes Within the box, having their faces or sides both plain and marked and differently colored for movement within the box by manipulating the latter, substantially 1 as specified.

2. The combin-ation of the box having a sectionallydivided and differently colored exposed playing-field within it, marked with squares or spaces of different colors,- and a series of loose pol-ygonatshaped bodies having their sides'both plain and marked and of different colors for operation within the box by the manipulation of the latter, and Where by theyar'e made toform' different face combinations, substantially as Specified.

3. In a toy'or'puzzle of the character herein set forth, the combination, with the box pro- Vided with an exposed interior pla ing-field and with the loose olygon-atshape'd bodies both plain and marked and of different colors on their sides, adapted to move over and form different combinations on said field by the manipulation of the box, of a chart composed of divided sqiiai'es or spaces in sets I by said bodies, essentially as and for the having numbers or symbols to distinguish purposes specified.

them said squares or spaces bein made i both plain and marked and of differ ent col- PHILIP JOSEPH A 5 01's corresponding with the sides of the po- Witnesses:

lygonal-shaped bodies, and arranged to corre- JAMES L. MGCLEAR, spond with the different combinations formed GEORGE J. MAAs. 

